Spoilers for Netflix’s The Night Agent lie ahead, so read at your own risk.
The Night Agent, which is one of the newest entries on Netflix’s 2023 TV schedule, is proving to be a hit with audiences. Created by Shawn Ryan and based on Matthew Quirk’s book of the same name, the show takes audiences on a journey filled with action, heart and political intrigue. At the center of the story are FBI Agent Peter Sutherland, played by Gabriel Basso and former tech company owner Rose Larkin, portrayed by Luciane Buchanan. The season finale leaves both characters in interesting positions that could certainly be worth exploring down the road. While a renewal has yet to be announced, both Basso and Buchanan already have some wild ideas for Season 2 and beyond.
Peter and Rose’s paths became intertwined when the latter called Peter on the White House’s emergency Night Action line after she witnessed the murder of her aunt and uncle. From there, the unlikely pair uncovered a conspiracy involving Rose’s relatives, who were Night Agents. They later discovered that the Vice President (Christopher Shyer) and Chief of Staff (played by Hong Chau) planned to assassinate a former terrorist in an attack that also involved the president. In the end, Rose and Peter – along with some allies – managed to thwart the plan, and the latter was tapped to join Night Action. Meanwhile, Rose opted to return to California to rebuild her company. The two, who forged a romantic relationship over the course of season, parted ways in the final moments of the finale, sharing a kiss before Peter departed for a new assignment by plane.
It’s fair to assume that if a second season happens, Peter will remain the central focus of the show. One can only imagine what lies ahead for him as an agent, but Gabriel Basso dropped a bold proposal when I spoke to him in celebration of the drama’s debut. In short, the actor firmly believes his character should die at some point. (Yep, you read that correctly.) It’s shocking, but Basso’s comments on the possibility are very thoughtful:
In my head, I think Peter has to die – and not maybe in the second season maybe the third season. I just think to have morals and pursue truth and values in a field, in a profession where the more bendable in, you know, malleable your values are the better agent you would make, sets him up to be an enemy of his employers. So I think that having values and taking a stance and saying, ‘But this is wrong,’ sort of sets him up to be double crossed or die.
Even his co-star was shocked to hear those words come out of her colleague’s mouth. Yet when you really think about it, that does make sense. Peter works within a world filled with questionable people and, since he’s proven that his moral fiber can’t be compromised, others may view him as a liability. In one respect, his death would also be a full-circle moment, as it would somewhat line up with his father’s. When Peter was a teen, Sutherland Sr. was dubbed a traitor and died shortly before his innocence could be proven. But in the finale, Peter learned that his dad did get in deep with foreign agents but admitted to it and was killed because he was set to become a triple agent for the U.S. So it’d be somewhat fitting for Jr. to meet a heroic end.
As for Luciane Buchanan, she couldn’t help but giggle when pondering what might lie ahead for Rose. The writers will likely opt to keep her in California and have her re-establish her firm in a theoretical Season 2. Before she gets to any of that though, Buchanan suggested that her character – who still has to contend with her family tragedy – needs some self-care:
I think she needs therapy first and foremost. She needs to go on a little retreat in the woods [to] chill out, process all the killings. [Laughs] I should not be laughing.
The New Zealand-born actress also lit up when her colleague mentioned that Rose could take a “spa day,” musing that her character could get a face mask and sit in a circle with others and discuss her feelings. That may all sound funny, but the computer whiz could definitely use some downtime after what she’s been through. Let’s hope Rose and Peter can get their bearings after the events of these 10 episodes. On top of that, fingers crossed that Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan get the opportunity to reprise their roles in a second season filled with ideas as bold as the ones they shared.
The Night Agent is now streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription and, if you’re done with it, do yourself a favor and check out other streamable political thrillers. There are also plenty of viable viewing options to make note of on the 2023 TV schedule.
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